Eleven years ago, lymphoma patient Christine Pechera began the long road toward a cancer-free life.

Former lymphoma patient Christine Pechera unveils 2014 City of Hope Rose Parade Float Rendering at the Tournament of Roses - Wrigley Mansion. Her second opinion at City of Hope ultimately led to her remission.

She had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and told by doctors elsewhere that her lifespan likely would be measured in months, not years. Refusing to give up, she came to City of Hope for a second opinion. There, she received her first encouraging words. She began treatment soon after watching the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, an event that she'd watched as a child and that she thought she might never see again.

After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and an autologous stem cell transplant – a procedure using her own stem cells – Pechera returned to health, only to relapse in 2005.

She can still find the YouTube video pleading for help in the search for a matching bone marrow donor. Because she was Filipino, matches were hard to come by; her search was even featured on “Nightline,” highlighting the need for more diversity among donors. Finally, a man in Hong Kong – who never saw the video or "Nightline" – was identified as a match.

His stem cells – and the expertise of City of Hope's lymphoma experts – saved Pechera's life. The journey that began with a poor prognosis at another institution brought her back to the Rose Parade on January 1 of this year. This time, the former lymphoma patient rode on City of Hope’s float, paying tribute to the fact that the dream of being cancer-free can be within reach, even in some of the toughest cases.

“A person once told me that City of Hope is where patients go when other doctors have told them there is no hope,” Pechera wrote earlier this year. "What makes City of Hope different is the love and support of the entire City of Hope community: its doctors, staff, volunteers and supporters.”

City of Hope's expertise and cancer outcomes also set it apart. According to national data from the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research, City of Hope is the only center in the nation to have achieved nine consecutive years of what CIBMTR describes as “over performance.”

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Learn more about becoming a patient or getting a second opinion at City of Hope by visiting us online or by calling 800-826-HOPE (4673). Our staff will explain what previous medical records we'll need for your first appointment and help you determine, before you come in, whether or not your insurance will pay for the appointment.